APPENDIX B

DETAILED RESPONSES TO 

AGENCY AND ORGANIZATION COMMENTS
 B-1 

DETAILED RESPONSES TO AGENCY AND 

ORGANIZATION COMMENTS 

HOW TO USE THIS APPENDIX 

Following this introduction, detailed responses to agency and organization comments are 

presented in the following order: 

 B1. Detailed Responses to Federal Agency Comments 

 B2. Detailed Responses to State Agency Comments 

 B3. Detailed Responses to Local Agency Comments 

 B4. Detailed Responses to Consulting Party Comments 

 B5. Detailed Responses to Operator Comments 

 B6. Detailed Responses to Other Organization and Group Comments 

Responses to agency and organization comments are provided in a side-by-side format with each 

agency and organization letter. The left side of the page is a full reproduction of each letter, with 

individual comments noted and numbered on each page of the letters (indicated by vertical black, 

numbered bars). The right side of the page contains detailed responses to each comment that 

correspond to the black-bar numbering on each letter. 

AGENCY AND ORGANIZATION COMMENT RESPONSE PROCESS 

As described in Chapter 2 of this Final EIS, thirty-four (34) agencies and organizations submitted 

comments regarding the Project during the formal comment period and public hearing process 

that followed publication of the Draft EIS. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public 

Transportation (DRPT) carefully reviewed each comment, concern, and request, and provided 

detailed responses to substantive comments, which are provided in this appendix; these detailed 

responses include reference to information provided in both the Draft EIS and this Final EIS, and 

are the outcome of ongoing agency coordination and additional analyses that have occurred since 

the publication of the Draft EIS. Additionally, responses to substantive comments are 

incorporated by way of minor corrections, clarifying explanations, or supplemental 

documentation, as needed, into the content of the appropriate sections of this Final EIS. In general, 

substantive comments are those that question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of information 

and methodology in the Draft EIS or present new information not considered in the Draft EIS, 

and cause changes or revisions in one or more alternative or environmental resource. 

Appendix B 
TIER II FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

B-2 

Many agency and organization comments included the following topics, which did not warrant 

changes to the methodologies or information provided in the Draft EIS. Notwithstanding, the 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and DRPT provided responses to these topics within the 

detailed responses provided in this appendix. 

 Overall position/opinion for or against the Project. 

 Preference for and/or opposition to a specific alignment or Build Alternative that was 

evaluated in the Draft EIS. 

 Suggestion of additional alternatives to consider, most of which were considered but 

dismissed during the 2002 Tier I EIS for the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) corridor 

between Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, NC, or do not align with the implementing 

actions that were the outcome of the 2002 Tier I EIS and Record of Decision (ROD). 

 Requests for detailed information or data that is beyond the scope of an environmental 

document and would be developed during the final design and permitting process. 

 Environmental documentation for the Project is based on conceptual engineering, 

which is approximately a 10% design level. 

 Chapter 5 of this Final EIS clarifies the use of temporary and permanent impacts to 

environmental resources. Temporary impacts at the conceptual design level are a fixed 

offset from the permanent impact limits; this is an allowance for possible construction 

means and methods that may exceed the permanent impact limits. 

 Final design will clarify the potential construction means and methods that might be 

used to eliminate or mitigate temporary impacts. Final design will occur in the future 

after Project funding becomes available and incremental improvements are scheduled. 

 Chapter 7 of this Final EIS has been included to add descriptions of future steps for 

the Project. 

 Requests for ongoing coordination beyond the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) phase of the Project; refer to Section 7.8 of the Final EIS for details of Project 

regulatory actions, approvals, and commitments.